Southern Cornbread Recipe
This Southern Cornbread Recipe is an old-fashioned classic that is rich and tender, and so easy to make. We use fresh corn cut from the cob for this recipe, giving it a “from scratch” homemade touch! This moist cornbread recipe is the perfect accompaniment to a warm bowl of chili, soup, or any of your favorite Southern dishes.

Southern Cornbread from scratch is easy to make, and it’s one of those recipes that you will make time and time again for big family dinners.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great Flavor. This Southern Cornbread is pure comfort food! It’s tender, moist, and loaded with warm, rich flavors of corn, butter, and honey.
- Simple To Make. Making cornbread from scratch is super easy. Prep time is about 10 minutes and cook time is 20-25 minutes.
- Family Favorite. This cornbread recipe is my mom’s recipe and it’s a family favorite. It’s a great bread to serve at potlucks, cookouts, game days, or Sunday dinners with the family. Pair it with chili, soup, or any of your favorite Southern dishes.
Southern Cornbread Recipe Ingredients
- Corn. We use 2 large ears of fresh corn cut from the cob for this recipe. You can use frozen corn if you like. You’ll need 2 cups of corn.
- Sour Cream. Makes the cornbread deliciously tender, moist and rich.
- Milk. Use whole milk.
- Honey. We sweeten this moist cornbread with honey. You can use granulated sugar if you like.
- Butter. We use unsalted butter.
- Egg. You’ll only need 1 large egg.
- Flour. We use unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Yellow Cornmeal. Use fine stone ground yellow cornmeal.
- Baking Powder AND Baking Soda. You’ll need to add both baking powder and baking soda to the dry ingredients.
- Salt. We use kosher salt. You can use sea salt if you like.
Find printable recipe with the measurements below.
How To Make The Best Southern Cornbread From Scratch
- Preheat Oven. Preheat oven to 350°F
- Melt Butter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and set aside to cool. Measure 2 tablespoons of the butter and drizzle it into the 8×8″ baking pan. Brush the melted butter on the bottom and the inside of the baking pan. Set aside.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients Together. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Cut Corn From Cob. Stand each corn ear on its stem and and cut down with a sharp knife to remove the kernels from the cob. After removing the kernels, scrape the knife along the cob to extract the corn milk. You will need 1-1/2 cups of corn kernels and corn milk. Transfer 1 cup of corn kernels to a blender, reserving the rest to add to the batter.
- Blend Wet Ingredients Together. Add the milk, sour cream, 4 tablespoons melted butter, honey and egg to a stand blender with the corn kernels and puree. You mill need 2 cups of this mixture. If you are shy some, you can add a little milk so you have a full 2 cups of the wet mixture,
- Combine Wet And Dry Ingredients. Pour the wet blender ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in all but 2 tablespoons of the reserved corn kernels into the batter. Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the last 2 tablespoons of corn kernels on top of the batter.
- Bake Cornbread, Transfer the baking pan to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry and clean. Remove from the oven and let the cornbread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Cut into 9 squares and serve with butter and honey, or honey butter.



Tips For Making Moist Cornbread
- Don’t over-mix the batter.
- Halfway through baking, rotate the pan in the oven so it bakes evenly,
- Keep an eye on it at the 20 minute mark to make sure it doesn’t get over done. To check for doneness, stick a toothpick in the center of the bread. If the toothpick comes out clean and dry, it’s done and you can remove it from the oven.
Serving Suggestions
- Honey Butter. To make honey butter, you’ll need 1/2 cup butter (1 stick butter), 1/4 cup pure clover honey, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Use a stand mixer to blend it all together. Slather generously on slices of warm cornbread.
- Chicken. Baked Barbecue Chicken Thighs, Cilantro Lime Chicken and Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.
- Chili and Soup. Easy Chili Recipe, White Bean Chicken Chili, Slow Cooker Chili, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Mexican Chicken Rice Soup.
- Salads. BBQ Chicken Salad, Fried Chicken Salad and Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad.
How To Store Leftover Cornbread
Store leftover cornbread in an airtight container. If properly stored, it may last 1-3 days at room temperature, and 3-5 days if stored in the refrigerator.
More Corn Recipes
Southern Cornbread
This Southern Cornbread Recipe is an old-fashioned classic that is rich and tender, and so easy to make. We use fresh corn cut from the cob for this recipe, giving it a "from scratch" homemade touch! This moist cornbread recipe is the perfect accompaniment to a warm bowl of chili, soup, or any of your favorite Southern dishes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels cut from the cob
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 5 tablespoons unsalted melted butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons pure clover honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal, stone ground
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and set aside to cool. Measure 2 tablespoons of the butter and drizzle it into the 8x8" baking pan. Brush the melted butter on the bottom and the inside of the baking pan. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Stand each corn ear on its stem and and cut down with a sharp knife to remove the kernels from the cob. After removing the kernels, scrape the knife along the cob to extract the corn milk. You will need 1-1/2 cups of corn kernels and corn milk. Transfer 1 cup of corn kernels to a blender, reserving the rest to add to the batter.
- Add the milk, sour cream, 4 tablespoons melted butter, honey and egg to a stand blender with the corn kernels and puree. You mill need 2 cups of this mixture. If you are shy some, you can add a little milk so you have a full 2 cups of the wet mixture,
- Pour the wet blender ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in all but 2 tablespoons of the reserved corn kernels into the batter. Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the last 2 tablespoons of corn kernels on top of the batter.
- Transfer the 8x8" baking pan to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry and clean. Remove from the oven and let the cornbread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Cut into 9 squares and serve with butter and honey, or honey butter.
Notes
Tips For Making Moist Cornbread
- Don’t over-mix the batter.Â
- Halfway through baking, rotate the pan in the oven so it bakes evenly,
- Keep an eye on it at the 20 minute mark to make sure it doesn't get over done. To check for doneness, stick a toothpick in the center of the bread. If the toothpick comes out clean and dry, it’s done and you can remove it from the oven.
Variations
- Use 2 cups frozen corn instead of fresh cut from the cob.
- Use granulated sugar instead of honey.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 369Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 636mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 9g
theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.




